Entertainment
Liwa Festival Returns in 2026
The Desert’s Grand Stage, the Liwa International Festival, will return from 12 December 2025 to 3 January 2026, bringing 23 days of culture, adventure, motorsports, music, and family fun to the golden dunes of the Al Dhafra Region.
Set against the backdrop of the 300 metre Tal Moreeb, the UAE’s tallest dune, the festival has become one of the country’s most anticipated annual events, where heritage and adventure blend with the warmth of quality time with family and friends.
Since its debut in 2001, the Liwa International Festival has grown into Abu Dhabi’s ultimate winter experience, offering something for everyone, from world-class racing and dune sports to immersive cultural moments and lively entertainment.
This year, the festival opens with the Forsan Al Emarat show, the official aerobatics demonstration team of the United Arab Emirates Air Force, and a captivating display of fireworks, light shows, drone shows, and more set to light up the desert sky.
Each winter, Liwa becomes the beating heart of motorsport in the region, and this year’s edition promises even more action and excitement. The festival kicks off with Freestyle Drift on 12 to 13 December and 22 to 23 December, followed by the Spartan Race Liwa on 13 December and Bike Drag Racing on 14 December. The excitement continues with Falconry from 15 to 17 December, showcasing precision and heritage, followed by the Car Stunt Championship on 19 to 20 December. A first-time event, Extreme Mudfest, will also take place on 19 and 20 December, bringing the biggest and most exhilarating motorsport experience amid the desert sands.
The Liwa Running Challenge follows on 20 December, together with the Liwa Cycling Race and Liwa UTV on 21 December. From 23 to 24 December, the Pigeon Hunt Competition takes place, leading into the high-energy Liwa Burnout Championship on 25 December.
On 26 and 27 December, the desert will roar to life with Liwa Drift, Monster Jam, and the Tal Moreeb Running Challenge on 26 December, while the Liwa Padel Championship and Liwa Cycling Challenge run from 26 to 28 December and on 27 December. Motorsport fans can also enjoy the Sand Wrestling Championship on 26 to 27 December, followed by the return of the Car Stunt Championship on 28 to 29 December.
The festival continues with the Electronic Freestyle Championship on 30 December, and the Tal Moreeb Car Championship from 31 December 2025 to 3 January 2026, featuring multiple racing categories. The lineup also includes Football and Padel every weekend, as well as Boxing from 15 to 21 December.
The Jetour Travel Conference will also take place on 19, 20, and 21 December.
Throughout the festival, visitors can also enjoy daily Dune Projection Shows and Drone Shows and Hot Air Balloons every weekend, transforming the Liwa desert skyline each evening into a spectacular display of light, sound, and motion. Water Karting and Mini Tank Paintball will also be available daily from 12 December 2025 to 3 January 2026, offering a thrilling experience for visitors looking for some action. Fireworks will illuminate the desert sky during the opening ceremony, weekends, New Year’s Eve and the closing ceremony, creating memorable moments throughout the festival.
At the heart of the festival lies Liwa Village, a lively hub of entertainment and discovery designed for all ages. Families can enjoy water karting, carnival rides, skill games, pony rides, and two exhilarating ziplines (one for children and one for adults). The Classic Car Museum, Auto Zone, Horror Escape Room, and Smash Room add extra excitement, while younger visitors will love the Pony Grove and petting zoo.
Attractions this year include the Souk Zone and Pop-Up Heritage Shops for handmade crafts and local treasures, while the Performance Stage hosts live music, cultural acts, and daily entertainment.
Foodies can savour both Emirati favourites and global cuisines across the festival’s many F&B and retail outlets.
New Year’s Eve at Liwa International Festival is set to be unforgettable. On 31 December, the Tal Moreeb Car Championship begins its three-day run, setting the stage for thrilling motorsport as 2025 turns to 2026. Visitors can enjoy a special New Year’s Eve concert, followed by a magnificent fireworks show lighting up Liwa’s vast desert sky.
This celebration invites visitors to welcome the new year surrounded by music, adventure and the breathtaking landscape of Al Dhafra Region.
Liwa International Festival celebrates the UAE’s proud heritage and traditions. From falconry and handicrafts to Souk Liwa and the pigeon shooting championship, the festival connects the spirit of the desert to the nation’s enduring love for culture, community, and innovation.
REPORTED BY -WAM
Entertainment
Meryl Streep comeback in ‘Mamma Mia 3’
In Mamma Mia, Meryl Streep portrayed Donna Sheridan, a single mother and independent hotel manager. Fans raved about her performance in the musical hit franchise.
But in the sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again: her character was revealed to have died. Though it was not shown how.
Now, as the third instalment is confirmed, according to Dame Donna Langley, chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment, questions are raised: would she make a comeback?
“If Meryl Streep would like to come back, we’ll find a way to bring her back,” the head responds to a question about the actress’ character’s return.
Further, the executive confirms the film has been greenlighted. “Yes, I’m going to say right now that there will be a Mamma Mia 3.”
Though, Langley insists the project is in an early phase, so there is no specific time when the movie will roll out in theatres. “We’re talking about it.”
Earlier, Amanda Seyfried, who played Sophie in the Mamma Mia franchise, said her character Sophie should be the third film’s focus.
The international News
Shakira to perform at Egypt’s iconic Pyramids of Giza in April
Colombian pop star Shakira is set to perform live at the Pyramids of Giza on April 7, as part of her worldwide “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” tour, organisers said.
The concert is expected to draw a large audience to one of Egypt’s most iconic landmarks, with the global singer planning a visually ambitious production designed to match the scale and symbolism of the ancient site.
The show marks Shakira’s return to Egypt nearly two decades after her successful 2007 performance at the same venue as part of her Oral Fixation Tour, which at the time drew a large audience and widespread media coverage.
Shakira is expected to perform a selection of her most popular hits that have shaped her global career over the years, in a setting that blends music with history.
Gold, Silver Prices Make Olympic Medals Most Valuable in Modern History
It isn’t solid gold — but it’s never been worth more.
Athletes stepping onto the Winter Olympic podium in Italy this month are being draped in the most valuable medals in the Games’ modern history thanks to near record-high precious metal prices.
Since the Paris Summer Olympics started on July 26, 2024, spot gold prices have jumped roughly 110% to about $5,000 per ounce, while spot silver has surged about 180% hovering near $78 an ounce, according to FactSet data.
At current prices, the intrinsic or “melt value” of an Olympic gold medal — value based solely on the metals it contains — is roughly $2,300 to $2,500. Silver medals now carry a raw metal value of about $1,400.
Each gold medal handed out at this Olympics weighs in at about 506 grams, roughly 17.5 ounces, but only six grams of that total is pure gold.
Surprisingly, despite the name, Olympic gold medals are mostly silver. There hasn’t been a solid gold medal since the 1912 Stockholm Summer Olympics.
Under current International Olympic Committee guidelines, gold medals must consist of at least 92.5% silver and include a minimum of six grams of gold plating. Those six grams — about 0.2 ounces — are worth just over $1,000. The remaining silver core adds roughly $1,300 or more, depending on daily market swings.
Silver medals have about 500 grams of silver. Bronze medals, made primarily of copper and weighing in roughly 420 grams, carry only minimal intrinsic value at current commodity prices, worth just $5 to $6 in metal value.
Precious metal prices have climbed sharply over the past year as investors have poured money into traditional safe havens amid geopolitical instability, inflation concerns and ongoing economic uncertainty.
“The fundamentals and the tailwinds of this debasement trade are still in place, and the global central banks all over the world are acquirers of gold for the first time in many years,” Joe Terranova, a CNBC contributor and senior managing director for Virtus Investment Partners, said on CNBC’s Halftime Report Thursday. “You want to have some ownership.”
Even with bouts of volatility — including recent pullbacks over fears precious medal prices had overshot fundamentals — bullion remains near historic highs.
“The sell off [of precious metals] was attributable to excessive speculation,” Terranova said. “I don’t think it was attributable to any form of the shift in the fundamentals.”
Just this week, precious metals prices stabilized from that slip as investors assessed U.S.-Iran tensions and a drop in U.S. jobless claims that pointed to labor-market stability ahead of inflation data later this week.
Despite the soaring value of this year’s medals, they have been accompanied by an unexpected wrinkle.
The Milano Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee has acknowledged it’s looking into what is described as an “issue affecting a small number” of medals after several athletes reported broken ribbons or clasps during celebrations.
Organizers said they are working with the Italian State Mint to address the issue and repair affected medals.
CNBC
Entertainment
Shakira to perform at Egypt’s iconic Pyramids of Giza in April
Colombian pop star Shakira is set to perform live at the Pyramids of Giza on April 7, as part of her worldwide “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” tour, organisers said.
The concert is expected to draw a large audience to one of Egypt’s most iconic landmarks, with the global singer planning a visually ambitious production designed to match the scale and symbolism of the ancient site.
The show marks Shakira’s return to Egypt nearly two decades after her successful 2007 performance at the same venue as part of her Oral Fixation Tour, which at the time drew a large audience and widespread media coverage.
Shakira is expected to perform a selection of her most popular hits that have shaped her global career over the years, in a setting that blends music with history.
Entertainment
Alan Cumming Thanks BAFTAs Audience After Activist’s Tourette’s Interruption
Host Alan Cumming addressed the audience at the British Academy Film Awards on Sunday night after audible outbursts from Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson were heard during the ceremony.
The event, held at Royal Festival Hall and broadcast on BBC One, was briefly disrupted when Davidson, 54, let out involuntary shouts. At one point during the ceremony, Davidson could be heard yelling, “Shut the f*** up,” during a speech from BAFTA chair Sara Putt, as well as “f*** you” when the directors of the winner for Best Children’s and Family Film accepted their award.
Davidson also shouted a racial slur as actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented the award for Best Visual Effects, per Variety. Davidson, who was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome at 25 after experiencing symptoms from childhood, is the inspiration behind the nominated film I Swear.
Those in attendance, including BAFTA president Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, reportedly reacted with visible surprise as the auditorium fell silent during speeches, making the outbursts more noticeable.
“The auditorium fell completely silent during the speeches, making the sudden outbursts clearly audible. The reaction in the room was one of visible shock, yet no one openly responded,” a source told HELLO!
Cumming acknowledged the moment on stage, explaining that strong language can be part of how Tourette’s presents for some individuals. “You may have noticed some strong language in the background. This can be part of how Tourette’s syndrome shows up for some people as the film explores that experience,” Alan said on the stage. Thanks for your understanding and helping create a respectful space for everyone. We apologise if you are offended.”
Cumming addressed the audience again later in the evening, this time apologising to anyone who may have been offended by Davidson’s words. “Tourette’s syndrome is a disability, and the tics you’ve heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette’s syndrome has no control over their language. We apologise if you are offended tonight,” he said.
Prior to the show as well, the event’s stage manager introduced Davidson, 54, to the audience and alerted attendees that they might hear some “involuntary noises or movements” during the ceremony, per Variety.
Davidson appeared to have left the audience during the second half of the show, per Variety.
I Swear, directed by Kirk Jones, received five nominations, including best leading actor for Robert Aramayo, who ultimately won the award as well as BAFTAs EE Rising Star.
During his acceptance speech for the latter award, the actor praised Davidson and called for greater understanding of his condition. “John Davidson is the most remarkable man I ever met,” Aramayo, 33, said. “He’s so forthcoming with education and he believes there should still be so much more we need to learn about Tourette’s.”
Aramayo continued, “I just want to say for people who are living with Tourette’s, it’s the buzz around them that helped define what their experience is, so to quote the film, ‘They need support and understanding.’”
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